A recent study has found that educational intervention is effective at increasing elderly men and women’s calcium intake and retarding bone loss, citing evidence presented by medical experts from the National Institute of Nutrition in Hanoi. The researchers presented the benefits of their study at the International Osteoporosis Foundation's (IOF) Asia-Pacific Osteoporosis Meeting in December 2012.

Researchers conducted their study on 140 postmenopausal women who were over 50 years old at the Red River Delta region in Vietnam. The women have been menopausal for at least five years and were known to have a low dietary calcium intake (at least less than 400mg/day). One group of women was given nutritional instruction for 18 months to improve their dietary calcium intake and was compared to a control group that received none.

After 18 months, the women in the intervention group improved their calcium intakes significantly, exhibiting stable and undiminished bone mineral density. In comparison, those in the control group who did not receive any educational intervention actually showed decreased bone density by as much as 0.5 percent. The parathyroid hormone (PTH) of those in the intervention group were also monitored and showed a distinct reduction of 12 percent while the control group's PTH levels were significantly more increased by as much as 32 percent.

The IOF and WHO have long considered that the daily calcium and vitamin D intake in the general populations of Asian countries are comparatively lower than that of certain countries in the world. This inadequate intake in diet is believed to be the cause of osteoporosis being prevalent among postmenopausal Asian women. According to the suggestions of the IOF and WHO, the recommended daily allowance of calcium for pre-menopausal women and men under 65 is 1000mg per day and 1300mg per day for those over the age of 65.

The study results suggest that educational health programs may improve dietary intake of calcium and vitamin D, which may also provide significant health and economic benefits. It could also improve bone mineral density and fracture prevention rates in the elderly populations of Asian countries.

Osteoporosis is acknowledged around the world as an international epidemic affecting millions of people. Despite the best efforts of medical experts, there is still no effective treatment for curing or preventing development of this bone-thinning disease. To learn more about osteoporosis, its treatment and current research, read more at the Fosamax class action center, www.fosamaxclassaction.us.